Foul odours permeated the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin yesterday as police prosecution witnesses presented human remains as exhibits in the trial of AbdulRahman Bello, known as the "Facebook killer-lover."

Bello, an Ilorin-based cleric, is accused of murdering his lover, Hafsoh Lawal, in February and dismembering her body. During the hearing before Justice Hannah Ajayi, two police witnesses displayed recovered human body parts, triggering an emotional outburst in court. The deceased's father, Ibrahim Lawal, collapsed in tears when asked to identify pieces of his daughter's hands.

Other exhibits included a cutlass, bloodstained dining table, an axe, a knife, a keg containing human blood, a wooden box with black soap, a pair of ladies' slippers, two earrings, mobile phones, a bag of charms, animal horns, and an exercise book detailing charm rituals. The victim's broken beads and severed hands, found at a dumpsite, were also submitted as evidence.

The courtroom atmosphere became tense as family members and litigants broke down in tears, overwhelmed by the stench and the gravity of the evidence.

Four out of the 16 witnesses scheduled to testify appeared in court alongside the five accused persons. One police witness, Yusuf Dauda, who is the custodian of the exhibits at the State's Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), testified that he documented the items brought by Inspector Ayodele Azeez.

During cross-examination, Chukwudi Maduka, counsel to the first defendant, questioned Dauda's knowledge of where the items were recovered. Inspector Mohammed of the SCID confirmed that human parts were recovered from Bello's residence and a dumpsite and were deposited at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) for preservation.

The deceased's father also recounted the harrowing events leading to Hafsoh's disappearance and the eventual discovery of her remains. Hafsoh's closest friend, Falilat Abdul Hafiz, also provided her testimony. Justice Hannah Ajayi adjourned the case for further hearing until Monday, May 12, 2025.